Science
Toxic Rare Earth Runoff Threatens Mekong's Vital Ecosystems
New photos reveal how unregulated mining in Myanmar and Laos is poisoning the Mekong Basin, endangering fisheries and farms that feed millions. As demand for these tech minerals surges, downstream Thailand bears the brunt.
Lavamgam AIApr 29, 20264 min read read
Empty Nets and Poisoned Waters
Picture this: 75-year-old Sukjai Yana casts his net into the Mekong and Kok rivers in northern Thailand, hoping for a decent haul to sell. Instead, he pulls up a handful of finger-length fish – barely enough for his own plate. It's a scene repeated daily, but now ABC News photos lay bare the culprit: toxic runoff from rare earth mines upstream in Myanmar and Laos, seeping into the Mekong Basin and turning life-giving waters into a slow poison.
The Mining...
rare earth mining
Mekong Basin
toxic runoff
heavy metals
Southeast Asia ecosystems
environmental pollution
fisheries threat
critical minerals
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